Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Crostata

• servings: 4-6 (8 small tarts)
• active time: 30 mins
• total time: ~1.5 hours

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups flour

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

½ cup mascarpone cheese (find substitute)

1 stick cold butter, cut into pea-sized pieces

1 tsp total spices (oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic, whatever you want)

Pinch of salt

Filling

2 cups ricotta cheese (get one with no gums or stabilizers

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

10 oz spinach (or other leafy vegetable, chopped if needed)

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil and chopped

½ cup onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp olive oil

Black pepper

Salt to taste

1 egg with a splash of water for egg wash

Directions

For the dough, combine the flour, parmesan, mascarpone, butter, and spices into a food processor (add ⅛ cup of flour extra if your grated cheese doesn’t contain anti-caking agents). Pulse until the mixture resembles the texture of parmesan cheese, with the butter nicely broken up. Add the 2 eggs and continue pulsing until the dough comes together. Remove from the food processor and store covered in the fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours max).

For the filling, combine ricotta, parmesan, and eggs in a large bowl and set aside. When you’re ready to start cooking soon, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach leaves and cook until wilted. Saute the garlic for a final 30 seconds, or until aromatic. Add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from the heat to cool down.

Once cool, add the mixture from the pan into the cheese mixture in the large bowl, along with the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix until well incorporated and taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Roll out the dough onto a floured surface, looking for a thickness of ⅛”. Cut the flattened piece of dough into 8 even pieces and lightly separate them. Dock the dough with a fork to prevent egregious bubbles from forming. Place the filling in the center of each rectangle, allowing for an empty border for the dough to fold up (helps to evenly portion out all of your filling, careful not to overfill). Fold over the exposed dough to create a small pie. There are many different ways of folding to get different aesthetics, but the only requirement is that the filling is sealed in on all sides to prevent leaking during baking. Arrange all formed crostatas onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Make an egg wash with 1 egg and a splash of water. Brush each crostata with egg wash. Bake at 375 F for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your crostatas. Check that the bottom isn’t burning after about 20 minutes, but otherwise cook until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving and enjoy.

Notes

Crostatas are the Italian equivalent of French Galettes, rustic freeform tarts. Crostatas are more commonly sweet than savory, and the type of crust can vary. This recipe has a savory cheese quiche-like filling with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for bursts of flavor, inside of dough similar to a flaky pie crust. Modify the filling to match whatever is seasonal or already in your fridge. I like to add some aleppo pepper to bring some heat to the filling.